"Star Wars will be the first major new release to skip VHS, some say a move that is unsurprising because of its heavy DVD audience.

Distribution sources said recent Star Wars releases have seen heavy VHS returns from retailers unable to sell off the tapes. LucasFilm and Fox declined to comment other than to confirm that there would be no VHS version."

I can't say that it doesn't surprise me that ROTS will be only on DVD. I really don't think that it will hurt their sales that much. I also have to say that of everything coming out the DVD is the one thing I am the most excited about getting! That will be an awesome day!

Logged

"For too long gentleness has been equated with weakness. Yet it takes more strength to be gentle than to be mean."

I didn't know if this would be the right thread for it, but while in Target today, there was an television ad on the "internal" system advertising the ROTS DVD. It was a brief commercial spot, with clips from the film and various critic quotes about how great the movie was, and ended with a shot of the DVD cover and the November 1st street date.

The coolest thing was that Target was playing this on a new selection of widescreen LCD televisions, and boy it looked beautiful. I can't wait to get the DVD home that day. It's going to look amazing.

SilverZ

I've been told my order will be shipping at the end of next week (a US disc via the UK), so I'm locked into a copy of the disc already and will probably have to pick the disc up again at Walmart just for the bonus. Which isn't pleasant, but I need to be there on DVD anyway to grab the 3 3-pack sets.

So what do we have so far outside of Wal-Mart for DVD bonuses? The only other thing I've seen mentioned is the Unleashed Vader at Best Buy.

I'm debating on whether or not I will buy it at Wal-Mart. The more I think about it, the more I think that the disc will be an edited-together version of the Threepio/Artoo shorts I mentioned earlier, with maybe some other film clips mixed in, interviews with the actors, and so forth. Since the movie is the most important thing to me, I'll buy it wherever I see it first, bonus item or not.

I think the bonus situation stands the risk of getting out of hand, not just with SW, but with other DVDs too. I'm dreading the day when studios start to intentionally hold material back from the DVD itself to include on a retailer exclusive bonus disc, and every retailer has their own individual disc as a bonus. I mean, what if when Episode I came out, it was only a single disc, and Target had a bonus disc with the trailers and TV spots; Wal-Mart had a bonus disc with the web docs; and Best Buy had a disc with the "Beginning" documentary?

You know the bonus disc at WM will be cheesy - nothing but edited shots of Luke / Anakin from both the PT and OT with some shots of R2 and 3PO (doing the commentary) thrown in for good measure.

Is the Unleashed Vader free at Best Buy? I doubt that it is - that'd be one helluva deal!

I think I'll pass on the three figure sets (minus the clonies of course). I bought the OT sets just because the packaging kicked ass - if memory serves me correctly, this time around the figures are blister carded.

Well that is the thing for me. I do not have an allegiance to a particular store when it comes to buying the movie. It's the same movie wherever you buy it. Ultimately I will try to find the lowest price. However, a little goodie with it depending on what it is could sway me to that particular store. If nobody else is going to offer anything extra with the DVD except Wal-Mart's item then I may as well go to Wal-Mart and pick the DVD up with that freebie. It's not hurting me any since they will likely have one of the lowest prices as well if not the lowest. If the item turns out to be crap than so what? It was free anyway.

I'm going to have to be at WM to get those 3-packs (since I'm a sucker like that, plus I don't want to wait for Target or Best Buy to open in the morning) and I figure I might just go for broke and get the exclusive set.

If you have Hyperspace, the Official Site now has a trailer up for the DVD. Kind of neat, and definitely makes me want to see it again. It seems so long ago now, I think the middle of July was the last time I saw it. Looking forward to the 1st.